Commentator Amit Segal reveals: The moment when Naftali Bennett thought the story was over

May 27, 2022   

After long months of mutual loathing, Shimrit Meir and Tal Gan Zvi, the two senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office who left their positions in recent days, agreed on one thing. Can you keep a secret? Solve an issue? We are looking for you for a prestigious position Political commentator Amit Segal writes in Yedioth Ahronoth: "Both political advisor Shmarit Meir, who left two weeks ago, and chief of staff Tal Gan Zvi, who left this week, urged him to veto Yair Lapid's developing affair with the Joint List. Meir believed that this was the alternate prime minister's way of becoming the interim prime minister, and that the costs to the country would be unbearable. Gan Zvi was convinced that Bennett and Shaked would buy a short period of power at a heavy price: they would never be able to win over the right-wing crowd. "The prime minister explained to them that his policy regarding maintaining the government is five words: 'With all his strength, not at any cost.' Fight, but not if it means making concessions on the security front, on the Temple Mount front, or on the legitimacy front for the joint list. "His retiring advisors believe that in the eyes of the public it no longer matters that much, and he identifies the coalition with exorbitant payments to Tibi, Zoabi, and Abbas. "The government's revival is taking such a heavy toll that it's better to start thinking about organ donation." On Thursday, with the announcement of Rinavi-Zoabi's retirement from Meretz, Bennett estimated that the story was over. "But on Friday morning, the dawn of a new day dawned on the Galilee landscape, and the MK announced that she was back. Bennett decided that it was worth investing another effort and published a scathing post against Netanyahu and in favor of continuing the coalition. Gan-Zvi returned home, to Mitzpe Ilan, and decided that it was over. On Sunday morning, before the government meeting, he submitted his resignation." Segal continues: "The most explosive event is the cooperation with the Arab Knesset members: the political elite, which is also the political elite, are preparing 'with a high probability' for an escalation following the events of Jerusalem Day this coming Sunday. Everyone has reached the limit of their concessions here: Abbas, who has lost the ability to force his faction to vote with the coalition; the right-wing parties that are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the gifts to the Arab factions. And all this, in an increasingly heated climate, of which the battle of flags at Ben-Gurion University is only a visual illustration, and in an election atmosphere.".